Let’s talk about death and dying. Are you curious about it? What do you want to know? Or is it uncomfortable for you? Making you think about stuff you’d rather not. Maybe you don’t know where to start, what to say or who you should even talk to. This is all normal stuff.
Most people don’t want to talk about death because it is uncomfortable. Let’s face it, this subject is emotional, sensitive, vulnerable…hell, it can even become political. Who wants to open that can of worms? I mean, we’re going to die anyway, right?
Spoiler Alert: Talking about death does not make it happen-sounds obvious, doesn’t it? However obvious it may be, we do need to rewrite our learning about death being an impermissible topic of discussion. I think one of the very important things to remember is to take small steps-everyone’s threshold is not at the same level. Not every conversation needs to be a deep dive.
Not everyone’s starting point will be the same. Recognizing it might be difficult or emotional might be a good way to start, “I know this might be hard to talk about…” or “This is really important to me. I hope it doesn’t upset you to talk about this…” or “Hey…I want to have a living funeral-did you want to help me plan it?” …perhaps for those more at ease discussing end of life options.
The more we talk about death, the more we make it ‘normal’, less awkward and more acceptable to those around us. We can then share a safe space to get vulnerable and talk about decisions and choices that are important to us.
Stay curious…keep having those conversations. Need support? Join my monthly Doula Chat. It’s held online-the last Saturday each month. Register here-on my webpage: griefenergycoach.com.
